I took photos of children in dance costumes with makeup for stage performance. One grandma chose several, including a closeup with bright red lipstick, but asked to have the lipstick removed if possible. I offerred to reshoot (I don't like the smile) but that's not possible - the parents are divorced and the child is moving out of town, grandma is heartbroken and really wants this picture.

It would be best if you could post the image so that we can see it. Your website has a password on it and I was unable to enter. There are many methods that can be used to accomplish what you are after. What type of processing software are you using and what is your skill level?

This is a very small file you posted and quite difficult to work from. In any event I used the lasso tool to select the lips and then took some of the red out with Hue/Saturation. I then picked up a color on the very bottom of her lip with the eye dropper and then painted that color carefully on the darker areas of her lip. The problem I had was the file size was so small as to not let me blow up the lips enough to work well with them. I am sure there are others here who can do better but this was my attempt:

I think she is a lovely young girl and by removing the two highlights in her right eye and softening the facial area a little she looks happy and bright to me. Her skin did "glow" a little from moisture so softening that did help remove that look. My wife always told me that girls do not sweat, they glow. :biggrin:

-......the parents are divorced and the child is moving out of town, grandma is heartbroken and really wants this picture.......Thanks,
Stephanie

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The picture appears to expand on the above. On the larger version it looks like the child was fighting back some tears. I can see why you were not comfortable with her smile. Sad, the children and grandparents suffer so much when this happens. Maybe you could remove thecatchlights just above and below her pupils; they appear to be tears. As a grandparent it would break my heart to see a picture which seemed to permanently reflect a child's sorrow. The right eye also shows it more with the visible red in the white of her eye.

I was thinking that the child looks hot and sweaty, as though after a performance, and, yes, her eyes definitely look a bit too moist, on the edge of tears.... The smile seems a bit forced, too. With the "back-story" here, chances are pretty good that she WAS on the verge of tears if she is leaving her familiar dance studio, her grandma, her friends and everything she has known.

The picture appears to expand on the above. On the larger version it looks like the child was fighting back some tears. I can see why you were not comfortable with her smile. Sad, the children and grandparents suffer so much when this happens. Maybe you could remove thecatchlights just above and below her pupils; they appear to be tears. As a grandparent it would break my heart to see a picture which seemed to permanently reflect a child's sorrow. The right eye also shows it more with the visible red in the white of her eye.

I was thinking that the child looks hot and sweaty, as though after a performance, and, yes, her eyes definitely look a bit too moist, on the edge of tears.... The smile seems a bit forced, too. With the "back-story" here, chances are pretty good that she WAS on the verge of tears if she is leaving her familiar dance studio, her grandma, her friends and everything she has known.

Maybe you could remove the catchlights just above and below her pupils; they appear to be tears. As a grandparent it would break my heart to see a picture which seemed to permanently reflect a child's sorrow. The right eye also shows it more with the visible red in the white of her eye.

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Gordon there are two bright white dots above and below the pupils touching her eyelashes. They give the appearance ot tears. Also the right white of her right eye is pink. I didn't see these corrections in the image you referred to.

Gordon there are two bright white dots above and below the pupils touching her eyelashes. They give the appearance ot tears. Also the right white of her right eye is pink. I didn't see these corrections in the image you referred to.

Thanks, Rich

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Did you scroll down to the second picture as I corrected the image per your post and then posted the corrected version right below the first. See post #6, there are two images there. Look at the second one.

Thanks Gordon, I will use the second. Thanks also to everyone who responded. Haley is a very sweet little girl, I hope it works out well in the end.

I had not adjusted yet to remove catchlights etc, I snapped off a quick closeup with a second camera to match up the names as the kids come in, as this is my first year doing this type of shooting, I don't have a good system in place yet. My 'helper' called Friday night to let me know that she could not help next day.

I was really surprised to see that the names of the children did not match with the parent about 75% of the time. When Mrs. X calls, I can't tell which is her child, so I check the studio sheet and these quick snaps. It was quite an experience, 12 signed up for pictures, 34 showed up the first day, I was wiped out after the four hour session

People are so different, one family asked for a reshoot last weekend, she wanted the small kids to 'look sexy', she had the (elder) six year old in tears, took 40 minutes of my time, then didn't order anything because she did not like that the backdrop was not plain blue, guess she didn't notice on her first visit either? I was glad she didn't order, I just wanted her to leave. The mother was dancing seductively to show the kids how to move their bodies (!), the father wanted the hands a certain way, I was sorry for the kids and should have thrown them out, but I just didn't know what to say. Can you imagine someone wanting a picture of two small sisters but they must not be touching, that was the reason given for the reshoot. Live and learn, I was just glad they left.

Did you scroll down to the second picture as I corrected the image per your post and then posted the corrected version right below the first. See post #6, there are two images there. Look at the second one.

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Ok, now I see. Her left eye still has the two dots; otherwise it is great. Thanks from one Grandpa to another!

People are so different, one family asked for a reshoot last weekend, she wanted the small kids to 'look sexy', she had the (elder) six year old in tears, took 40 minutes of my time, then didn't order anything because she did not like that the backdrop was not plain blue, guess she didn't notice on her first visit either? I was glad she didn't order, I just wanted her to leave. The mother was dancing seductively to show the kids how to move their bodies (!), the father wanted the hands a certain way, I was sorry for the kids and should have thrown them out, but I just didn't know what to say. Can you imagine someone wanting a picture of two small sisters but they must not be touching, that was the reason given for the reshoot. Live and learn, I was just glad they left.

Thanks again for all your help, you guys are great!

Stephanie

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Ugh! That's why I stopped portrait work shortly after I started. And they wonder in ten years why their kids are so uncontrollable. Please understand no offense is intended, but no amount of money would be worth participating in sessions like the ones you described. An answer might be, "thanks but no thanks." They're asking you to photograph their children with gestures and mannerisms which are not appropriate for their age and are not cute.

Good luck, the things one has to do to try and earn a living. I hope the class of clientelle improves greatly for you! Right now it sounds as if they are without any class. Good luck with your work.

... People are so different, one family asked for a reshoot last weekend, she wanted the small kids to 'look sexy', she had the (elder) six year old in tears, took 40 minutes of my time, then didn't order anything because she did not like that the backdrop was not plain blue, guess she didn't notice on her first visit either? I was glad she didn't order, I just wanted her to leave. The mother was dancing seductively to show the kids how to move their bodies (!), the father wanted the hands a certain way, I was sorry for the kids and should have thrown them out, but I just didn't know what to say. Can you imagine someone wanting a picture of two small sisters but they must not be touching, that was the reason given for the reshoot. Live and learn, I was just glad they left. ...

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Just be sure you are charging them enough to cover the legal expenses! (Anyone read the cover story in this month's Pop Photography?)

Cute girl, and I wish you luck with photographing children or people in general. I prefer not dealing with that kind of situation or the potential legal ramifications. As Chris just mentioned look at this months Pop Photo if you want to do a blood pressure test. Interesting story, and I'll leave it at that, the Title is "How a Photo can Ruin your life". - Jeff

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